History Film / MysteriousSkin

* AlienAbduction: Brian is obsessed with it.

* AwfulTruth: And ''how''.

* CampGay: Eric has shades of this.
* ComingOutStory: Neil tells his at the beginning.

* FilmOfTheBook: One of the rare good ones, both as a standalone film and compared to the book.

* LonelyPianoPiece: "Samskeyti" by Music/SigurRos, during the last scene.
* ManlyTears: Averted, which makes it much more powerful.

* PrecisionFStrike: When Brian [[CallingTheOldManOut finally confronts his father]] (see above) is the one time he swears in the film.

* StraightGay: Applies more to Neil than to Eric.
* TheTwink: Neil.

* AllGaysArePedophiles: The coach is, but plenty of other gay men are not. The movie also averts the related trope that being molested as a child makes you gay, as Neil mentions having been attracted to men before he even meets the coach (and the coach is able to molest Neil because Neil had a crush on him)

The two eventually meet, and the horrible liberating truth about what happened in their childhood is revealed...

While the film was critically acclaimed, it was extremely controversial for its subject matter. MoralGuardians in Australia attempted to [[BannedInChina have it banned]], on the grounds that it could encourage copycat behavior. In order to protect the welfare of the child actors during the abuse scenes, Ellison and Webster had separate scripts from those of the rest of the cast, and were only asked to perform actions such as moving their hand up and down to mimic a handjob, which were then spliced with the other scenes to give the final appearance.

* KarmaHoudini: There is no mention what-so-ever of any justice served against the Coach for his actions.
* LonelyPianoPiece: "Samskeyti" by Sigur Ros, during the last scene.

--> '''Brian:'''I was bleeding! I kept passing out! I wet my FUCKING bed! AND YOU NEVER ASKED WHY!

* PrecisionFStrike: When Brian [[CallingTheOldManOut finally confronts his father]] (see above) is the one time he swears in the film:
--> I was bleeding! I kept passing out! I wet my FUCKING bed! AND YOU NEVER ASKED WHY!

* PromiscuityAfterRape: Neil becomes a gay hustler after being raped by his little league coach. Many of his johns resemble Neil's abuser.

At eight years of age, Neil [=McCormick=] (portrayed by Chase Ellison as a boy and Creator/JosephGordonLevitt as a teen) discovers he is homosexual, developing an obsession with his mother's boyfriends and the men in her ''Playgirl'' magazines. He develops a crush on his baseball coach (Bill Sarge), who takes advantage of this and starts taking special interest in him. One stormy night, an incident happens...

At eight years of age, Neil [=McCormick=] (portrayed by Chase Ellison as a boy and Creator/JosephGordonLevitt as a teen) discovers he is homosexual, developing an obsession with his mother's boyfriends and the men in her ''Playgirl'' magazines. He develops a crush on his baseball coach (Bill Sarge), who takes advantage and starts seducing him. One stormy night, an incident happens...

While the film was critically-acclaimed, it was extremely controversial for its child-molestation-related subject matter. MoralGuardians in Australia attempted to [[BannedInChina have it banned]], on the grounds that it could be used by real pedophiles to groom children. In order to protect the welfare of the child actors during the abuse scenes, Ellison and Webster had separate scripts from those of the rest of the cast, and were only asked to perform actions such as moving their hand up and down to mimic a handjob, which were then spliced with the other scenes to give the final appearance.

* BreakTheCutie: Brian, ''so much.'' The first 20 minutes or so show how Neil was himself broken when he was 8

[[quoteright:325:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Mysterious_skin_9075.jpg]]

* [[spoiler: HarmfulToMinors:]] While they react differently to it, it's pretty clear that the incident has ruined both their lives.

* [[spoiler:WhatNowEnding: Following a reveal of what really happened to Brian when he was "abducted", the film promptly closes with carolers singing outside while Neil cradles Brian, leaving absolutely no closure on their broken lives.]]

* OddFriendship: Brian and Avalyn, who commiserate over their shared alien abduction stories (until [[spoiler: she tries to have sex with him]], as well as Brian and Eric, who meet up and become friends when Brian's trying to learn about Eric's friend Neil

* PornStache: The Coach has one.
* TheTwink: Neil.

* DepravedHomosexual: The man who rapes adult Neil, and also [[spoiler:the coach.]]

* StrangeFriendship: Brian and Avalyn, who commiserate over their shared alien abduction stories (until [[spoiler: she tries to have sex with him]], as well as Brian and Eric, who meet up and become friends when Brian's trying to learn about Eric's friend Neil

* BreakTheCutie: Brian, ''so much.''

* PornStache: The Coach has one

'''''Mysterious Skin''''' is a 2005 drama film (though produced in 2004) directed by Gregg Araki, who specializes in avant-garde films about homosexual relationships. It is [[FilmOfTheBook based on the novel of the same name]] by Scott Heim.

* [[BannedInChina Banned In Australia]]: Almost. The Family First Party, a particularly meddling group of MoralGuardians with funding, attempted to have the film banned on the basis that it could be seen as an instructional guide to sexual predators. The OFLC (the censors) promptly told the Family First party to piss off as the film had more than enough artistic merit to it, and soon after placed restrictions on the number of films they were allowed to submit for review. (The same party had tried to have ''Film/{{Irreversible}}'' banned two years previous.)

* [[spoiler: HarmfulToMinors: While Neil and Brian]] react differently to it, it's pretty clear that the incident has ruined both their lives.

At eight years of age, Neil [=McCormick=] (portrayed by Chase Ellison as a boy and JosephGordonLevitt as a teen) discovers he is homosexual, developing an obsession with his mother's boyfriends and the men in her ''Playgirl'' magazines. He develops a crush on his baseball coach (Bill Sarge), who takes advantage and starts seducing him. One stormy night, an incident happens...

* [[BannedInChina Banned In Australia]]: Almost. The Family First Party, a particularly meddling group of MoralGuardians with funding, attempted to have the film banned on the basis that it could be seen as an instructional guide to sexual predators. The OFLC (the censors) promptly told the Family First party to piss off as the film had more than enough artistic merit to it, and soon after placed restrictions on the number of films they were allowed to submit for review. (The same party had tried to have {{Irreversible}} banned two years previous.)

* KarmaHoudini: There is no mention what-so-ever any justice served against the Coach for his actions.